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Friday, February 15, 2019

Fort Thomas Home Destroyed by Fire, Robot Vacuum Thought to be Cause

At 2:04 p.m. on Thursday, February 14, Megan Price was getting ready in her Fort Thomas home in the 50 block of Delta Avenue.

That's when she heard the smoke alarms going off downstairs.

"I was in the shower and my smoke alarms started going off. I jumped out the shower and ran downstairs and my living room was smoky behind my couch. I ran back upstairs to get dressed and when I came back down my couch and wall were on fire," said Price.

She said that those alarms saved her life.

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"I cannot stress enough to test your fire detectors at your home. Mine saved my life this afternoon," she said. "The boys and I may have lost our home but we are blessed to still be alive."

Price, said her two sons, ages 7 and 4, were at school at the time of the fire. She says says the home and all of its contents are a complete loss. They are staying with her parents while they figure out what to do next. She said everyone is healthy, but they have nothing left.

"The kids haven’t been to the house yet they were pretty upset on the phone when I talked with them," she said.

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Besides the advice Price gives about making sure your smoke detectors are functional, she is also giving a warning about a robotic vacuum that she believes was the cause of the fire. She said that she purchased it in November during a Black Friday sale.

"The robot vacuum malfunctioned and caused it," said Price. "I just saw it on fire underneath the couch before the whole thing went up. The police have that as evidence as well as part of my couch that wasn’t destroyed."

Price says the vacuum brand was a "Deebot", purchased at Target for $149. Price said she would urge people who purchased the same model to be vigilant and to check with the manufacturer about similar instances.

Woodfill Elementary School Principal, Keith Faust, enlisted the help of the school and Fort Thomas community to help Price and her sons in their time of dire need. The seven-year old is a first grader there. They are seeking donations of clothing, gift cards to local restaurants and stores. Donations can be dropped off at Woodfill Elementary School at 1025 Alexandria Pike, in the front office.

"Let’s teach our children about empathy, compassion and helping those in need," he wrote.